While everyone now knows Charles Barkley as the fun-loving analyst on TNT, before any of that, he was a superstar in the NBA. However, as many know, no one from his family is in the same profession as the NBA legend. While Chuck’s only daughter, Christiana Barkley, was encouraged by her father to explore numerous opportunities and interests in the sports world, she ultimately gave up on sports. After Christiana’s marriage, they welcomed Ilya Hoffman into the Barkley family.

Much like the Philadelphia 76ers legend’s daughter, his son-in-law isn’t a fan of sports either. Here’s everything we know about Chuck’s son-in-law.

Who is Ilya Hoffman?

“I’m not a sports fan. I don’t watch sports and I don’t play sports,” Hoffman said during an interview with The New York Times. For many, Hoffman is the son-in-law of one of the greatest basketball players of all time. Others know him for the marketing technology company in New York, Demandbyte, that he founded. 

Born to Alex and Katia Hoffman in Moscow, Christiana’s husband has only one sibling, Ash. The Hoffman family immigrated to the United States in the late 1980s. He spent his childhood in Queens before the family relocated to Long Island.

He met his wife at a casual gathering to watch Villanova’s national championship game, where many Villanova graduates were present, including Christiana. And surprisingly, basketball and the NBA are not how Hoffman came to know about Barkley. In the interview with The New York Times, Christiana’s husband shared that he knew the Phoenix Suns legend from “Space Jam“. Yes, the 11x NBA All-Star made an appearance in the hit 1996 film alongside Michael Jordan. 

Hoffman even stated that during their encounter in 2016, he was much more impressed by Christiana than by the NBA veteran who led the Phoenix Suns to the NBA Finals. Speaking of his talented wife, Hoffman said, “I said, ‘Oh, you mean the guy from ‘Space Jam’? That’s where I knew him from. Some people might have been like, ‘Oh my god, Charles Barkley.’ To me, it was like, ‘Look at this amazing girl.” She is a writer and senior account manager in a college consulting company.

Christiana Barkley tied the knot with Ilya Hoffman in 2021

Hoffman was well aware of how important Barkley’s decision was in his daughter’s life. So when the time came to the big decision of their life in 2019, the businessman’s priority was Sir Charles’ permission. During a visit to Scottsdale, Arizona, on the occasion of Christmas, Hoffman asked for Sir Charles and Maureen Barkley’s blessings and permission to marry their daughter. 

“I remember being really emotional about it. That’s not something that happens all the time,” Chuck recounted the special moment during the same interview. When Hoffman was asked about the proposal, he revealed, “I said, ‘I love you, I want to marry you, I don’t feel right about proposing with a ring pop.'”

The two tied the knot on March 6, 2021. The event was a family affair with just close friends and was held at the Andaz Scottsdale Resort and Bungalows. “I’m so excited for her and my future son-in-law. I’m just so excited for her because it’s her special day,” Barkley said on the Jimmy Kimmel Show ahead of the wedding. 

Rather than New York, the couple decided to settle in Killington, Vermont. Both love nature more than sports and enjoy their life away from the hectic bustle of New York. “The biggest mountain on the East Coast is 10 minutes away. I can ski on my lunch hour,” Hoffman said. Furthermore, the Chuckster is also a grandfather now.

Charles Barkley’s fan inspired the name that his grandchildren call him now 

In 2022, the couple welcomed their baby boy, Henry. In 2023, Hoffman and Christiana had their daughter Charlie Eliza. The two decided to name her after her NBA grandpa Charles. It was a special moment indeed for the NBA icon. While his family’s interests have always been far from sports, with Hoffman admitting that he isn’t quite a fan of sports, this aspect has still very much been a part of their life.

The name Chuck’s grandkids call him was inspired by one of his young fans. Barkley once recalled an incident where a fan wanted to take a picture with him. When he asked who would take the picture, the fan pointed toward their grandfather, whom the fan referred to as “Big Pops.” And this is when he decided to steal the name.

Barkley may have been initially a bit upset that his daughter didn’t pursue sports, but he couldn’t be happier for Christiana and Hoffman.